Foldable stool



M. KRISCHER FOLDABLE STOOL Filed Dec. 51, 1936 2 Sheets-Shet 1 I |N.VENT OR flax ffF'zscker BY W @fT'ZRNEY Oct. 5, 1937. M. KRIASCHER 2,095,097

FOLDABLE STOOL Filed Dec. 31, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTpR ffi'waker ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES FOLDABLE STOOL Max Krischer, Brooklyn, N. Y.,

assignor to Krischer Trading Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application December 31, 1936, Serial No. 118,555

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a foldable stool.

The invention has for an object the construction of a stool which is characterized by a member having upper and lower hinge sockets and U-shaped frames associated with said sockets in a novel manner. I

Still further the invention proposes the provision of a pair of top inverted U-shaped frames having the ends of their arms hingedly engaging said lower hinge sockets, and also provided with a flexible seat connected between the parallel portions of said frames.

Still further the invention proposes the provision of a pair of bottom U-shaped frames having their ends hingedly engaging said upper hinge sockets to form legs for the stool and associated with certain braces for holding the stool in an open position. Still further the invention proposes the provision of an arrangement which permits the relative adjustment of the upper and lower sockets and adjustment of the braces so that the height of the stool may be varied and the tension at which the flexible seat is normally disposed may also be changed.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the .ap-

pended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a foldable stool constructed according to this invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the stool shown in Fig. 1 partially closed.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the stool entirely closed.

Fig. 4 is a bottom elevational view of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is'a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view of a stool constructed according to a modification of this invention.

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of .a portion of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but illustrating another modification of the invention.

The foldable stool, according to this invention,

comprises a member III having upper sockets II and lower sockets I2. A pair of top inverted U- 7 apart.

To fold the stool it is first necessarythat the 50 shaped frames I3 are arranged to have the ends of their side arms hingedly-engaging in the lower hinged sockets I2. A'flexible seat I4 is mounted between the central portions of the frames I3. A pair of U-shaped arms I5 have the ends of their 5 arms hingedly engaging in the upper hinged sockets II. A releasable brace I6 is arranged between the central portions of the bottom frames I5. Foldable braces. H are mounted between the central portions of the upper and lowl0 er frames.

The member I0 comprises a pair of adjacent sheets of material riveted or weldedyor in any other manner secured together, face against face, and having their edge portions turned into tubu- T5 lar portions forming the hinge sockets. Holding brace irons 20 are connected between the side arms of the inverted U-shaped frames. and serve to hold the side arms in positions to prevent the disengagement of the end portions of the side go arms from the hinge sockets, The flexible 'seat I4 is attached to the central portions of the frames- I3 by reason of having the end portions I i bent over' portions of the frame and secured by lines of stitches 2|. 'The bottom frames I525 have offset portions I5 at the centers which form sockets for the braces I6 and IT.

The brace I6. comprises merely a rod which has one end Ili permanently bent over the offset portion I5 and has its other end formed into a hook 30 I 6* which is adapted to be hooked on to the offset portion I5 of the other frame I5. Each of the foldable braces I'I comprises a pair of brace sections I'I and I'I pivotally connected at their inner ends by inter-engaging loop portions and at 35 their outer ends provided with hook portions I1 which permanently engage portions of the top and bottom frames. The top hook IT is held against lateral sliding by the fact that it engages through the flexible seat I4. The bottom hooks 40 H are held against shifting by reason that they engage the offset portions I5 The stool isshown in its open position in Fig. 1. The brace I6 prevents the leg frames I5 f'rom spreading outwards. The side braces I I prevent 45 the top frames I3 from moving together when one sits on the flexible seat I4. The flexible seat itself prevents the top frames from spreading Thus a sturdy and rigid stool isproduced.

brace I6 be unhooked at its releasable end. Then the bottom frames I5 are folded upwards into and between the: top frames I3. The bottom frames are slightly narrower so that they may fit within the top frames. The side braces I1 55 7 during this folding operation double upon themselves, as clearly'shown in Figs. 2 and 3. 'The top frames 13 are then folded together. 2 the stoolis shown partially folded, while in Fig. 3itiscompletely folded. v r In Figs. 6-9 inclusive, 2. modified form of the invention has been disclosed in which provision is made for adjusting the height of the stool and being provided with the bottom sockets l2 and I tions comprise adjacent strips of material having 7 r aligned vertical slots 25.through which clamp.

for adjusting the tension of the flexible seat; In this form'of the invention there is a member ID which has separate sections, one of these sections the other with the top sockets ll. These secscrews 26 .pass. It is possible to loosen the clamp screws and then shift the sections relative to; 7 each other so, as to space apart or move together 7 the topand bottom sockets H' and I?" respectively.

*The-topsockets are formed lby coiling edge portions of one of the sections, in opposite direc- 'tions, that is',.a small portion of the edge portion .the lower' sockets 'lZf. mounted' between the central portions of the said frames l3. l5. have the ends of their arms hingedly engaging is coiled in one direction, then the next adjacent portion coiled in the other direction, and the following section back into the first direction, etc.

This is clearly shownin Fig. 9. The lower sockets 12' are similarly constructed. The finished sockets comprise small spaced tubular portions.

, A pair of top inverted U-shaped frames I3 have the ends of their arms hingedly engaging A flexible sheet I4 is A pairof bottom U- shaped frames the .upper socketsv II, 'There is. a releasable brace I6 mounted between the central portions 7 of the said bottom frames.

'There are also foldable side braces ll formed of adjacent sections l1. and il hingedly connected together. These braces are connected be- 7 tweenthe centralportions of the upper and lower frames. Each of the sections 11 of thesebraces is formed from end aligned sections 21 connected together with a coupling 28; The coupling 28 comprises a tubular member, the ends of which are formed with right and left hand threads which engage right and left hand threads on the adjacent ends of the sectionsil b. It is possible to turn" the coupling 28 to lengthen or reduce the length of the brace sections Il The sockets II' and I2 may be relatively adjusted to change the height of the stool and furthermoreto change the normal stretched position of the flexible sheet |4. Furthermore, the brace sections I'I may be extended or retracted to 7 partially or fully compensate for the changeof locationof the sockets-ll and I2- so as to make the flexible seat i4 completely taut or slack to any desired degree.

In Fig. 10 another modified form of member III" has been illustrated which is formed froma gsingle strip of material having portions I I fromthe top edge bent alternatelyin opposite directions and having other portions l2" from. the bot-- tom edge bent alternately in opposite directions. 1' These bent portions are of sufficient length to extend to the center of the member ID and are there fixedly secured by rivets 30. These bent In Fig.

portions form upper and lower sockets similar to the corresponding sockets, and for-the same purposes, as previously mentioned.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the. scope of the invention as. defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I 1. A foldable' stool, comprising a member having upper and lower hinge sockets, a pair of top inverted U-shaped frames having the ends of their arms hingedly' engaging said lower hinge sockets, a flexible sheet between the central porclaim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:-

tions of said frames, a pairof bottom U-shaped frameshaving the ends of theirarms' hingedly' engaging said: upper hinge sockets, a releasable brace between the central portions of said-bot- 7 tom frames, and foldable braces between the central portions of said upper and lower frames,

r and brace irons engaged between the side arms of said inverted frames to hold the ends of said 1 frames in said sockets. V

2. A foldable stool, comprising amember having separate sections formed with upper and. lower hinge sockets, a. pair of top inverted U- shaped frames having the ends of their, arms.

hingedly engagingsaid lower hinge sockets, a

flexible sheet between, the central portion of said collapsing when one sits thereon, and means for adjustably connecting togetherthesections of said member so that said upper' hinge sockets or may be moved from said lower hinge sockets to adjust the slack of said flexible seat.

3. A foldable stool, comprising amember having separate sections formed with upper and 'lower hinge sockets,a pair of top inverted U- shaped frames having 'the'ends of their arms hingedly engaging said lower hinge sockets, a

flexible sheet between the central portion of said frames forming the seat portion of said device,

a pair of' bottom l J-shaped frames having the ends of their arms hingedly'engaging said upper hinge sockets, a releasable brace between the central portions of said bottom frames, foldable braces between the central portions of said upper and lower framesfto prevent said top frames from collapsing when one sits thereon, and means for adjustably connecting together. the sections of said member so that said upper hinge sockets, 'may be moved from said. lower hinge sockets to adjust the slack. of said flexible seat; a second means on said foldablebraces; for adjustably connecting together portions thereof so that said braces may be adjusted tocompensate'for'the adjustment to said member to change the height of said stool. l r

. I MAX KRISCI-IER. 

